Day 23-25 Darwin

We’re comfortably established at the park in Darwin with all the people we met in Mataranka. The girls are happy to be reunited with their new BFFs and we’re happy for the company. Some of you will have heard me refer to Darwin as being ‘like a whole other country.’ I stole the line from a tourism ad in America. I reckon the line fits Darwin more than any other place I’ve been. Located closer to Bali than to any major Australian city, Darwin has one foot firmly placed in Asia. However, most of the residents ensure that the other foot is firmly planted in Australia and so Darwin is truly a multicultural city. We decide to spend four days in the city. We’ll do some errands, have the generator repaired and catch all the sites. We spend the first day relaxing and enjoying the kids’ favourite pastime- the pool. Sunday is the day of the Mindle markets on the beach and we head down for dinner. The Asian influence is really on show as we wander through the food stalls before settling on Indian, Japanese, Thai and Fish and Chips which, I suppose, is British. The evening entertainment is a busker playing American style Blues music. The catch is that he is Japanese. Yes, I sit in Australia listening to a Japanese man playing American Blues while I eat a Thai curry. The world is indeed a small place, sometimes. The next few days are spent enjoying the sites of Darwin. The museum, wave pool, water park and some shopping take up our time. If you find yourself in Darwin, make sure to stop in at the Trailer Boat Yacht Club. I reckon it’s the best kept secret in town. It’s one of the few places in the city with a view west over the water. The beer is cold, grilled local Barra’ is about $25 and the sunsets are absolutely priceless. We’ve enjoyed Darwin but it’s time to get out of town. Litchfield National Park beckons with its multitude of waterfalls, Billabongs and swimming holes. We’re off there tomorrow. Most importantly, the generator is fixed. Coffee. It's all about the coffee.